A CLIFF ADVENTURE. 149 



■with the single rope only ; but the doubling of the 

 rope, by means of the block, would diminish the weight 

 and pressure by one half, and bring the task well 

 within our strength. Accordingly, we obtained a coil 

 of about forty fathoms of rope, such as is commonly 

 used for the sheet of the sail of a small boat ; also a 

 small block and a strong oak staka 



The brow of the cliff was a smooth grassy sward, 

 the turf being hard and, to all appearance, tough. 

 We secured one end of the rope to the stake, which 

 we drove firmly in the ground right above the raven's 

 nest. My brother was to make the descent ; I was to 

 stand by the rope and manage the lowering and haul- 

 ing up.' A small piece of wood to sit on having been 

 attached to a loop of rope and secured to the lower 

 end of the block, all was ready for action, and the 

 descent commenced. Slowly I paid out rope. I could 

 not see over the cliff, but was quite within easy ear- 

 shot, and every second or two the shout came up : 

 " Lower away, lower away ; " at last it was : " Hold 

 hard ; " and in a little : " All right. Haul up now." 



I knew that the prize was won, and began to pull 

 away lustily and cheerily ; but when I had recovered 

 not more than three or four yards, to my horror and 

 dismay, I noticed the treacherous soil yielding to the 

 strain, and the stake being drawn. I had barely time 

 to seize the stake end of the rope. Another moment 

 and the stake would have been wrenched out of the 



earth and dragged right over, and Well, I 



daresay I should have held on ; I am sure I should ; 



